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Devin Townsend Project, Katatonia, Paradise Lost

When: Mon., Sept. 17, 7 p.m. 2012Price: $20

Master guitarist and producer Devin Townsend usually tries to do something new with every record, which probably means he'll take forever to get around to the long-threatened sequel to his concept album about coffee-snob alien Ziltoid the Omniscient. As much as I'd like to hear that record, though, I don't mind a bit—because his latest albums have been full of touching personal testimony, couched in a gloriously elaborate wall of sound that's sometimes delicate and sometimes stupidly heavy. Stadium rock isn't a dirty word at all when Townsend's doing it: on the restless, lovely, and totally unrelenting Epicloud (Hevy Devy), which comes out this week, he devotes himself largely to the task of staying in his hard-earned place on the sunny side, appreciating beauty and creating it. In his kitchen sink Townsend mixes at least six different flavors of metal, lots of AOR hooks, a bit of fusion, and more than a touch of sing-along grandeur a la Queen. Anybody else would've made a huge mess and clogged up the drains, but Townsend serves up a delicious meal—it's probably even good for you. —Monica KendrickKatatonia and Paradise Lost open.